SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Since Charlie Kirk’s death, the Texas State University campus has drawn national attention and continues to be politically charged.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for a student’s expulsion on social media after seeing them mock Kirk’s death in a viral video. The following day, TXST President Kelly Damphousse announced that the person was “no longer a student.” On Wednesday, students attended two events with disparate reactions to the incident.
Abbott posted to his X account on Sept. 16 that the student was expelled.
Turning Point
Wednesday morning, a couple of dozen students attended a Texas State Turning Point event — the conservative youth organization founded by Charlie Kirk. The event featured Chloe Cole, an activist who opposes gender affirming care for minors.
“What made Charlie so amazing wasn’t just the way that he pulled a turning point together. It wasn’t just the way that he would create these massive events with crowds of thousands of people who just couldn’t wait to speak to him. It was his godly care,” Cole told the crowd.
Several students told KXAN that Kirk’s death has galvanized them.
“When all this happened, the very next day, I joined Turning Point at my university here at Texas State, and we went to an event,” said Mason Lemme, a TXST student. “Had one on Monday. We were there for like eight hours, talking to people, debating with people.”
At one of those events, a cellphone video captured a Black student seemingly mocking Kirk’s death. Shortly after Abbott’s call for expulsion, Damphousse confirmed he had left the University.
“I think it was justice, and I think that a lot of people should just be standing up for the right thing, not just being hateful about stuff,” Lemme added.
‘He doesn’t understand what he started here’
Soon after the Turning Point event started, another gathering began across campus, this one pushing back against Abbott’s tweet and Damphousse’s decision, saying their actions have created a hostile environment for Black students.
“People felt as if this one incident gave them the initiative to attack all Black students here on campus,” said Elyse Hebert, a TXST student.
“I think that’s another thing that people aren’t seeing – the repercussions of what Greg Abbott did. He might have wanted the expedited removal from this campus, but he doesn’t understand what he started here.”
Hebert said she was at the protest where the incident occured and said she witnessed the student being harassed before acting out Kirk’s death.
“It’s kind of disheartening that only that part of that man’s actions is being represented, because that’s not the full story,” she said.
President Damphousse was in the crowd at the protest Wednesday afternoon. The students are calling on him to do more to protect Black students in the wake of TXST’s actions against the “expelled” student.
“There have been death threats that have been given to some organizations and students here on campus in the Black community, and we’re making light of it,” said student Sean Harris.
“Everybody saw your tweet. We went national,” Harris continued. “We’re nationally going to make ourselves heard and understood peacefully, because that’s what we stand for as a community,” Harris added.
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